Lewes District Council

Submit A Petition

Clipboard Guidance for local groups and communities who campaign on issues collecting names on a petition and how to submit to us.

The rules on how to submit a petition to us is part of our Constitution.

Receipt of Petitions

(a) The Chair may at the appropriate time in the order of business agree to receive from an elected member or member of the public, a petition on any matter relating to the work of the Council, but the person submitting the petition may only refer briefly (in an address not exceeding five minutes) to the subject matter of the petition and the number of signatures.

The ward councillor(s) and a maximum of two other councillors may also address Council on the subject matter of the petition (each address shall not exceed five minutes). The petition will be referred to the Cabinet or any other committee for consideration and the presenter of the petition shall be permitted to address the Cabinet or other committee when the petition is discussed.

(b) If the petition is relevant to a matter which appears on the agenda of that meeting of the Council, members may refer to the petition when that item is considered by the Council.
15/10/08

(c) Planning Applications Committee
Petitions may be presented at the Planning Applications
Committee subject to the following conditions:

(i) the petition must be signed by at least 50 signatories (this may include more than one signatory from any one address), subject to the Director of Planning and Environmental Services being authorised, in consultation with the Chair, to accept petitions with less than 50 signatories in circumstances where the issue is substantial in its effect on a small community which
could not be expected to provide 50 signatories;

(ii) all signatories to the petition must state their addresses on the petition;

(iii) petitions must be in original form, and any sheets
accompanying the petition containing signatures must
also contain the full wording of the petition;

(iv) petitions must be delivered to the Director of Planning and Environmental Services three clear working days before the meeting;

(v) petitioners may either read or summarise the petition, and state the number of petitioners together with any additional information about the petitioners such as their interests in the proposal which is the subject of the petition;

(vi) prior to the petition being read, the Chair may give notice that the petition may not be read but summarised;

(vii) petitioners may not make any statements to the
Committee not included in the petition;

(viii) there will be no requirement for the Chair of the
Committee to give any response to the petitioners other
than that the petition will be taken into account in
determining the appropriate matter, and

(ix) the Chair shall retain absolute discretion to terminate the reading of a petition or a summary of a petition if he/she considers that it is appropriate to do so in the interests of the Committee.

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Submit A Petition

Receipt of Petitions